Only then did Tilia feel a chill of sweat running down her back. Her heart was beating so fast in fear that George might actually go to his father. Even now her ribs hurt.
“At least it worked out.”
Tilia muttered to herself, placing a hand to her side. She managed to quickly pull out a convincing excuse, and George was too stupid to recognize it.
“I will no longer bring home any official documents.”
Tilia finally calmed down and sat down on the bed.
Although she managed to get out of the situation thanks to her actions, there was a clear reason why she accepted George's request. When the day comes for her to appear for an interview, it will be necessary for George, who might have noticed something, to be away under the guise of a favor.
Even if he was an idiot, like today, he could always pull off an unexpected trick. She needed insurance for this eventuality.
“And I had to instill a little fear in him so that he would never come into my room again.”
With a slight sigh, Tilia covered her face with her hands.
"Brad Reynolds..."
She had heard this name before. He was definitely one of the people she saw in the bookstore.
"Looks like they've finally decided to trade their sisters."
She was sure that he was no better than George.
Not that it mattered much - Tilia herself was not exactly a virtuous person.
While a plan was forming in her head, a cold smile played on her lips.
***
The Ambrose family's carriage smoothly stopped in a place familiar to Tilia.
It was the same bookstore that she had visited just three days ago to buy books.
- Meeting at the bookstore?
“It’s as if,” said George’s smug voice before she could pretend she didn’t know, “underneath this bookstore is the hottest private club these days!” You don't know anything about this, redneck.
Where does he even get the money to visit such a place?
Tilia glared at her brother, who was shamelessly exploiting the family's money, and demanded confirmation.
-Are you going too?
- Of course not, this is for you two! I need to meet Brianna... Ahem, it's for two anyway!
- ……
Fine. That’s even better - it will be much easier to clean up later.
- Fine. See you later.
- Yes! Don't worry, even if you're late, I'll cover you!
Leaving her overly enthusiastic brother, Tilia stepped out of the carriage.
-Are you Lady Ambrose?
As soon as she alighted, a servant in a well-tailored tuxedo approached her, as if he had been waiting for her.
- Yes.
Tilia answered quietly, with a gentle smile.
- I heard a gentleman is waiting for me?
***
Cap. A drop of dark red liquid fell into a transparent cup. Although it was denser than tea, it mixed easily with the existing drink.
Hehe. Brad Reynolds closed the bottle of concentrated holy water, his face twisted into a crooked grin.
They said that even one drop has a strong effect, so she cannot help but go into heat.
I wonder how beautiful she really is.
As he sat with both hands between his legs, Brad imagined Tilia Ambrose, whom everyone called so beautiful. Since George himself didn't look bad, she must have been quite nice.
"Idiot".
Thinking about George, Brad grinned.
The guy seemed to be firmly convinced that if he introduced him to Tilia, Brad would, in turn, introduce him to his sister.
“What a fool.”
No matter how low he stooped, Brad wasn't as vile as George to sell out his sister. Besides, his sister was not someone who could be treated as lightly as Lady Ambrose.
If he brought Brianna to a place like this and let her get involved with a scoundrel like George, his father would never forgive him.
“Tiliya is different, she can handle rough play.”
Brad nodded to himself, twirling the bottle of holy water in his pocket.
“This is guaranteed to work, but just in case...”
After a moment's hesitation, he pulled out the bottle and uncorked it again. He added another drop to the cup.
"Or perhaps...Lady Ambrose will put up more resistance than expected."
Pretending to hesitate, he added another drop. Then another excuse and another drop...
Only after the bottle was half empty did he stop, satisfied, and cap it. This should have worked. There was a good chance she would just pass out, but that would work too.
He stirred the tea carefully, making sure it was well mixed, Brad began to look at the door impatiently, waiting for the lady to enter.
“Is this her first time? It must be yes."
It didn't take long before the door finally opened.
A woman entered the room as if she had stepped out of a painting.
Tilia Ambrose turned out to be just as beautiful as expected - no, even more beautiful.
No wonder all his friends said the same thing.
Lady Ambrose, with jet-black hair and bright green eyes, was one of those beauties who could leave anyone who met her on the street speechless.
She seemed a little aloof, but even that added to her charm.
- …Nice to meet you. I'm Brad Reynolds.
Momentarily stunned by her beauty, Brad stood up belatedly.
“I’m afraid I have a condition where I can’t function normally in front of someone so beautiful... I apologize.” Please sit here.
Ignoring her pounding heart, Brad pretended to be polite and led her to the seat opposite him.
Wow. I'm really going to sleep with a woman like that today.
Brad's excitement wasn't just in his chest. He watched Tilia take her seat with a haughty expression, and his lower half felt uncomfortably tense.
- Thank you for accepting my sudden invitation. I accidentally saw you from afar, Miss Tilia, and fell in love at first sight... But although I know it's rude, I don't regret it at all.
Tilia glanced at him, then looked down at the cup in front of her - the same one that contained the tea she needed to drink to achieve her goal.
This was her chance.
- George mentioned that you really like Earl Gray tea.
Without a hint of shame, Brad lied, pointing at the cup in front of Tilia.
“After hearing this, I specially ordered young tea leaves from the Eastern Continent.” Hope you enjoy it.
-……
But Tilia was silent, just looking into the cup, not moving.
Why doesn't she drink it?
“Could she have noticed something?”
Brad watched her anxiously, waiting for her action.
- Um.
For the first time since she entered the room, Tilia spoke.
-Can we close the curtain first?
Tilia gave Brad a seductive smile, and he stared at her, puzzled.
- Curtain on the door window. I snuck out without my father's permission, and I'm afraid that someone might see.
- Oh, of course!
Finally understanding, Brad awkwardly stood up and moved towards the door.
That's right, no one else should see what's going on here. Especially when there are so many suspicious characters in this place!
Brad magnanimously closed the curtain and returned to his seat, sitting down energetically.
Tilia was already holding the cup.
Brad's dull eyes followed her movement.
The cup moved painfully slowly in her hand until it finally touched her red lips.
Finally she swallowed, her throat moving.
“Gotcha!”
Brad cheered internally as he watched her drink.
Tilia took the cup in her hands and smiled at Brad.
- The taste is amazing.
- Is it true?
- Try it yourself. I would be embarrassed to enjoy this alone.
Brad, already dry, quickly grabbed the cup and took a long sip. Accompanied by a rare beauty with a smile, the tea seemed sweeter than usual.
"She's too good for one night."
Brad, already feeling sad, allowed himself a moment to imagine their future together.
“She may not be wife material, but wouldn’t she be the perfect lover?”
It seemed that she was also attracted to him - her frequent smiles directed in his direction spoke of this. Brad met her gaze with barely noticeable intensity as he quenched his ever-dry throat with tea.
“Damn, she's gorgeous. But when will the potion work? I injected a lot of concentrate, so she should soon faint..."
Wait.
Why is Miss Tilia suddenly swaying?
The thought didn't last long. As the question formed, darkness began to fill his vision.
The blackout happened instantly.
And pretty soon...
Knock.
The heavy sound of his body hitting the floor echoed throughout the room.